(Minghui.org) When I was a child, I liked to read novels and books about history, politics, philosophy, and even books on physiognomy and qigong. I also read some books that were banned in China. I thought I knew a lot and was not an ordinary person. I thought that one day I would also write books.
In June 1996, at the strong recommendation of a friend, I read the book Zhuan Falun. I was deeply touched, as if I’d seen a light in the dark night. I suddenly understood the purpose of life. I found the answers to the questions that I had been pursuing so hard and could not solve. I was excited and have regarded this book as a treasure, a must-read every day for more than 20 years. My life has been completely transformed because of it.
Before I began practicing, others thought I was sharp, worldly, selfish, and calculating. For the sake of fame and fortune, I fought and competed with others. I got what I wanted, but I also ended up with health problems. After practicing Falun Dafa, I became healthy and happy. I am open-minded. I treat others with kindness and am willing to help them.
“You Are the Best Person.”
I own a house in a prime location. Most places in the area rent for 60,000 yuan a year, but I only charge 50,000 yuan. My principle is: Be considerate of tenants, charge below the market price, and always be kind.
The tenant runs a restaurant. His business has not been very good. His brother was hospitalized in a different town. For a long time, he needed to take care of his brother, so he had to run back and forth. Before the new year when it was time to pay the rent, he called and asked, “Can I have a few more days?” I said he could and then he went on to say, “My brother just passed away, and my sister-in-law and nephew are relying on me now. I have to take care of the funeral.”
I asked him what he needed. He sobbed and said, “If you don’t pressure me for the rent, that will help a lot.” I knew that what he needed then was money, so I said, “Well, when you pay the rent, subtract 5,000.” He was very surprised and sighed, “You are different. I am so lucky to have you as a landlord.”
Two weeks later, I suddenly realized he probably needed more money. So I called him and said, “Subtract another 2,000 when you pay the rent. This is my gift.” Surprised, he said, “That is not okay! You’ve already helped me a lot.” I said, “This is my gift. You have to take it.” Putting down the phone, my heart felt light.
He occasionally wanted some things done, such as fixing the broken security door which cost 500 yuan; replacing the door glass for 200; installing a new lock cost 60, and so on. These items were clearly written in the contract and were his responsibility, but I didn’t pay it any mind. I paid for everything.
Two years later, COVID hit our town, and most of the businesses were locked down. A week before it was time to pay the rent, he called, “I hesitated for several days to make this call, and I am embarrassed to ask.” I realized he might want to cut the rent, so I said, “Just say it.” He said, “Because of the pandemic, there is no business. I recently remodeled the restaurant, which cost 160,000 yuan. Can you lower the rent from 50,000 to 25,000? Please give me a break. When the pandemic passes, you can raise the rent again.”
His son and daughter-in-law were laid off during the pandemic, so they worked in the restaurant. Three generations of old and young counted on this small business. After paying the rent, there was very little left.
I knew that this was not the time to make money; it was the time to save lives. The human race is in danger. Not only the pandemic, but all kinds of disasters abound. Heaven has begun eliminating people who joined the CCP (Chinese Communist Party). His entire family quit the Party, and they all know Falun Dafa is good.
But 25,000 for rent was ridiculously low. I didn’t care about the money, but cultivators must do things in line with ordinary people and not go to extremes, so I said, “Thirty thousand. Even if business is bad during the pandemic, you should be able to pay that.”
He was grateful and said, “You are the best person in town; you have great character.”
Building Two Sewage Tanks for the Subdivision
My warehouse was on the first floor of an old building. When I moved in, I found a serious problem: The drain in the floor occasionally leaked sewage. I asked the manager to fix it. He ignored my request and the goods in that area got filthy.
Later, I learned that the sewage tank was full, but the manager didn’t want to spend the money to empty it. The residents complained a lot about this. I thought that I could just seal the drain and sewage pipes. But after it was sealed, I found out that sewage came out on the second floor, making the residents on the second floor very nervous. Every time it happened, I didn’t feel right. If I hadn’t sealed my floor drain, it wouldn’t be leaking on the second floor. I felt that I was selfish.
One resident said, “My apartment leaks several times a year. One morning, when I got up, the living room floor was covered in feces. I moved the sofa outside, cleaned it all morning, and had to open the window to air out the room. The smell was terrible.” A few days later, someone who knew about civil engineering said, “Dig two sewage tanks in front of the building to reduce the diversion on the other side, and that will solve it.” I said, “Can we ask the government to do it?” He said. “This is an unplanned investment, so who will pay? No government official will do it.”
I thought about it for a few days and decided to build the tanks at my own expense.
I went to a construction company and was told that it would cost about 18,000 yuan, including materials and labor. I told the boss, “I’m paying for it myself. I just want to do something good for the building residents.” He looked a little bewildered.
I said, “I practice Falun Dafa.” He still didn’t quite understand, so I told him about my cultivation experiences and told him that Falun Dafa teaches people to do good, and is nothing like the CCP’s propaganda. He finally understood, nodded in admiration, and said, “I am touched. OK. I will not make a profit from this project. I will just charge you 12,000 yuan.”
When I thanked him, he asked, “Am I doing good?” I said, “Yes, yes, you will be blessed!” I gave him a Falun Dafa keepsake and asked him to remember the phrases “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.”
Many people gathered when we began working. When they learned that I was paying for it, there was a lot of praise, and some said, “I should call the TV station to broadcast live. How can you do good deeds without being given credit?” I said, “Don’t do that, I don’t want to be praised.”
After the tank was built, we found out that that was only half of the work that needed to be done. The other half had to be taken over from the trench on the first floor. I hired people to buy pipes, cement, sand, dig trenches, and connect the underground pipes on the first floor to the tank. In the end it cost over 20,000 yuan.
Before I began practicing Falun Dafa, how could someone like me, who was calculating all the time, be so generous? When I invited friends out to eat, I only ordered the cheapest dishes. When I traveled for work, I often presented falsified bus or train tickets to be reimbursed. In fact, I didn’t lack anything material in my life, what I lacked was morality. I just felt that the money was good. I am glad that I did not become a government official, otherwise, I really don’t know how much money I would have embezzled! Falun Dafa teaches morality, stresses virtue and doing good, and improves one’s mind. I am so lucky to practice Falun Dafa.
Building Two Rainwater Wells
After I moved into the community, I noticed that every rainy season, water always collected in front of several buildings at the entrance to the community, and people had to walk around them. Children fell into the water, and it was even more inconvenient for the elderly. Over time, the residents got used to it.
I found some bricks and laid them out so that people could step on them. When the rainwater dried up, the bricks blocked the road, making it hard for cars to pass. So, I moved the bricks against the wall and laid them again when it rained. It was very troublesome to repeatedly fix it.
I asked a neighbor, “Is there any way to solve this?” He said, “Just dig a rainwater well.” He pointed to an empty space and said, “Below is the sewage pipe.” I said, “How much does it cost to dig a well?” He said, “A few hundred.” Then, with a sigh, he said, “Alas—if any officials lived here, this would have been fixed long ago.”
I thought this was easier than the sewage tank and decided to hire someone to do it. I bought manhole covers, manhole frames, bricks, cement, sand, and so on. I hired two laborers, who built the rainwater well in one day.
There was no more water in front of the building after the rain, and the residents were very happy: “You have solved a problem we’ve lived with for more than 20 years.”
I later moved out of that neighborhood but returned now and again. Six years later, the neighborhood was renovated and the paving was replaced with new bricks. In the rainy season, the problem returned. During the construction of several buildings, they used too little sand, so was a depression, and after a rain, it filled with water.
Residents asked the manager and district government to fix it. But no one wanted to do it. Every time it rained, people complained, scolded the government, scolded the CCP, and scolded the officials. But the matter of stagnant water still had not been solved.
Every time I passed by, I thought that the solution was very simple: Just build a rainwater well. But I wondered, “Since I’ve moved away, is it my responsibility to do it? When I built the sewage tanks and rainwater wells, I spent a lot of money. If I didn’t practice Falun Dafa, who would have done that? If I re-build the well, will people say that I am stupid because I practice?” But thinking about it again, Master asked us to be good people according to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and reach the standard of perfection. The government wasn’t going to do anything, so I decided to do it myself.
I got some old bricks and bought cement, well frames, manhole covers, and pipes. I then asked two practitioners and two relatives to help. We dug a trench more than ten meters long, put the well in place, connected the two ends, filled it with water, covered it with dirt, laid the floor tiles, and restored it to its original state.
It was not a big deal, but it had a huge impact. That day people came and went with smiles on their faces, and some moved the motorcycles parked there so we had room to work. Two men in their 60s and 70s joined us in digging a ditch with pickaxes. An old lady kept bringing us water to drink. Another old lady in her 80s kept saying, “Thank you! Thank you!”
The total cost was only a thousand yuan.
After practicing Falun Dafa for more than 20 years, I’ve developed the habit of considering others. When I see a stone in the road, I remove it. When I see the elderly carrying a heavy load, I offer to help.
During the pandemic, I saw an elderly man sitting on a curb with a bag of food and two large plastic bags next to him. I went over and asked, “Can you carry all that?” He said helplessly, “I am too tired. What can I do?” I said, “I’ll help you. Which building is yours?” I picked up the bags. He seemed uneasy and followed me closely. I said, “Don’t be afraid, I practice Falun Dafa.”
Another time, an old man fell down. He was surrounded by many people. He tried to get up, but no one dared to help him for fear of being accused of injuring him. I realized that he’d probably had a stroke, because his hands were shaking and he couldn’t speak. I picked him up, carried him to the side of the road, and sat him down on some steps. Now that the world is declining, it is common for old people to fake a fall to extort money from the passersby. But I firmly believe that heaven is just, and righteousness suppresses all evil.
I have shared some of the ways I’ve changed and some of my experiences after started to practice Dafa. My intention is to validate Dafa and Master’s mighty virtue. Because of Master’s teachings, I’ve become altruistic. I am healthy and my family is happy. I will continue to cultivate well and be a pure lotus in the turbid world.
(Selected Submission Celebrating the 24th World Falun Dafa Day on the Minghui website)
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